Genesis 44

VIN(i) 1 And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack. 2 And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said. 3 The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say to them, Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5 "'Is this the cup that my master drinks from and that he uses for telling the future? What you have done is evil!'" 6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing: 8 "You know that we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in the top of our sacks. Why should we steal silver or gold from your master's house? 9 With whomever of your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves. 10 And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible. 11 Each of the brothers quickly put his sack on the ground and opened it. 12 He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city. 14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don't you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?” 16 "Sir, what can we say?" Judah replied. "How can we prove we are innocent? God has shown that we are guilty. And now all of us are your slaves, especially the one who had the cup." 17 Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace. 18 And Judah drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Do you have a father or a brother? 20 "We answered, 'We have a father who is old and a younger brother born to him when he was already old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' 21 Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes upon him.' 22 And we said to my lord, This son cannot leave his father; for if he were to leave him, his father would die. 23 But you said to your servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you shall not see my face again. 24 When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, Go back and buy us a little food. 26 But we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man`s face unless our youngest brother is with us. 27 Your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons: 28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since: 29 And if you take this one also from my face, and harm happen to him, you will bring my gray hair to the grave in sorrow. 30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy's life; 31 it will be when he sees that the youth is not, he will die. And your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father to the grave in sorrow. 32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.' 33 So then, please let your servant remain in place of the boy as a slave to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34 For how can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I do not want to see the misery which will find my father."